Water injecting device



Feb. 14, 1939. H. 1.. SMITH. JR

WATER INJECTING DEVICE Filed April 16, 1958 INVENTOR J 'fwzz}.

ATTO R N EYS Patented Feb. 14, 1939 UNITED STATES WATER INJECTING DEVICEHorace L. Smith, Jr., Richmond, Va., assignor to Thermal EngineeringCorporation, Richmond, Va., a corporation of Virginia Application April16, 1938, Serial No. 202,395

Claims.

This invention relates tosteam and water injecting apparatus and moreparticularly concerns an improved device for introducing water and steaminto the interior of a treatment cham- 5 her. 1

In certain treatment processes, it is necessary to subject materials tothe action of steam under subatmospheric pressures whereby moisture maybe supplied to the materials. Thus, for example, in the processdisclosed in the Patent No. 2,086,446, tobacco is successively subjectedto a high vacuum, supplied with steam with an increase in absolutepressure to a higher but still subatmospheric value, and again subjectedto a it relatively high vacuum. This process increases the moisturecontent of tobacco without discoloration or other undesirable heatdeterioration of the tobacco. The treatment described involves theintroduction of steam to a treatment I chamber previously evacuated to avacuum which may have a value of 29 inches of mercury or more. Whensteam under pressure is thus introduced to a previously evacuatedchamber, the reduction in pressure, unaccompanied by the performance ofwork, liberates heat which results in superheating of the steam. Sinceunnecessary heating of the tobacco is to be avoided, it is advisable to'desuperheat the steam so introduced. It is further desirable in manycases to supply so to the tobacco an amount 01' moisture. in excess ofthat obtainable from the introduction of steam alone. These objects areaccomplished by injecting both steam and water into the treatmentchamber containing the tobacco, the water preferably taking the form ofa fine mist or spray superheat the steam at the reduced pressure,-

whereby excess water, preferably in the form of a fine spray, suspensionor mist, is entrained with the steam and carried into contact with thetobacco structure thereby. i

In accordance with the present invention, it is proposed to providean'improved steam and water injecting device capable of simultaneouslyintroducing steam and water in the form of a very .fine entrained mistor spray to a treatment chamber containing tobacco or other materialsubjected to the above described or similar treatment processes. Theimproved device is so devised that the steam is desuperheated as itenters the chamber and the excess water is broken up into a very finemist or spray which is entrained II with the desuperheated steam andcarried thereby into intimate contact with the material under treatment.A further object of the invention is the provision of a steam and waterinjecting device of" the type described which is so designed andarranged as to inject the mixture of water 5 and steam along a course inwhich it does not directly impinge uponthe material under treatment.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from thedescription. 10

In describing theinvention in detail, reference will be made to theaccompanying drawing in which an embodiment thereof has beenillustrated. In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a sectional side elevation of a steam 16 and water injectingdevice embodying the invention; and

Figure 2 is an end elevation of the device shown in Figure 1.

Referring to the drawing, the embodiment of 20 the invention thereillustratedcomprises an insuch as the nipple 5. The head H includes ahollow inlet portion 6 and a connected hollow cylindrical portion 1which has oppositely disposed open ends as shown. A nipple 4 ispreferably fixed within each of the open ends of the 35 cylindrical headportion I. The head portion 1 is preferably disposed at right angles tothe inlet duct-i so that fluid flowing from the open ends of the head isdirected in paths substantially parallel to the chamber wall 2 ratherthan directly 40 into contact with the material under treatment in thechamber.

One or more water spray nozzles are disposed in each open end of thecylindrical head portion 1 in such a manner that passages or orificesare. 45 provided for the flow of steam between and around the jets ofwater issuing from the nozzles. In the disclosed embodiment, this isaccomplished by providing a nozzle cluster N within each open end of thecylindrical head portion 1. Since the 50 nozzle clusters are identical,but one will .be described and corresponding reference characters willbe used to designate the corresponding parts of the other cluster. Eachnozzle cluster N comprises a hollow member 8 having a plurality of Iradially extending circumferentially spaced portions 9, the rounded endsof which fit snugly within and engage the inner surfaces of the headopening nipples 4. As shown in Figure 2, the radial portions 9 of thenozzle cluster N are so formed and spaced as to provide steam'egressopenings or orifices In between and substantially surrounding theseradial portions. A water spray nozzle l I is carried in each of theradial portions 9, being threaded or otherwise suitably secured theretoin communication with the interior of the hollow member 8. The nozzlesII are of known construction and are provided with restricted orifices l2 adapted to emit water in the form of a fine spray or mist. As shown,the nozzles are disposed in parallel relation and are directed outwardlythrough the open ends of the cylindricalhead portion I.

Suitable means are provided for supplying steam and water to theinjecting device. In the disclosed embodiment, a steam supply pipe I3 isconnected through a T fitting l4 and a nipple l5 to the inlet duct I.Steam from the pipe l3 flows through the hollow head H and out of theorifices l0 between and around the water spray nozzles I I. Water ispreferably supplied to the nozzles through a duct disposed within thesteam inlet duct and head. For this purpose, a water supply pipe I9enters the T fitting l4 through a suitable packed connection l6 and isconnected through a T fitting l1 and pipes l8 to the interiors of thehollow members 8 of the nozzle clusters N and thus with the nozzles ll.

When steam and water are respectively supplied to the device through thepipes l3 and 19, the steam flows outwardly from the open ends of thehead H through the orifices Ill and substantially surrounds the spraysof water issuing from the nozzles II. If the steam is superheated at theabsolute pressure of the treatment chamber, it is immediately saturatedby the evaporation therein of water from the nozzles II. The steam picksup and entrains the water spray, or so much thereof as is not evaporatedin desuperheating the steam, breaks up the spray into a finely dividedmist and carries it into intimate contact with the material undertreatment. Since the injectedfluid is directed substantially parallel tothe wall 2 of the treatment chamber,

the water spray does not impinge directly upon the treated material andlocalized moistening and other undesirable efiects are avoided.

It should be understood that the invention is not limited to thestructure disclosed by way of illustration but includes all suchmodifications thereof as fall within thescope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for injecting a mixture of water and steam into a treatmentchamber comprising a cylindrical duct having an open end, a nozzlecluster within and adjacent theopen end of said duct and comprising aplurality of substantially parallel spray nozzles directed outwardlythrough said open end oi said duct and relatively spacedcircumferentially with respect to said duct whereby fiuid outletopenings are provided at the open end of said duct between the nozzlesof said cluster, means for supplying steam to said duct and means forsupplying water to the nozzles of said cluster.

2. Apparatus for injecting a mixture of water and steam into a treatmentchamber comprising a cylindrical duct having an open end, a nozzlecluster within and adjacent the open end of said duct comprising aplurality of circumferentially spaced radially extending portions, eachcarrying a spray nozzle directed outwardly through said open end of saidduct, said nozzle cluster providing a plurality fluid outlet passages insaid duct in the circumferential spaces between said radially extendingportions, said passages extending between and substantially surroundingsaid spray nozzles, means for supplying steam to said duct and means forsupplying water to said nozzles.

3. Apparatus for injecting a mixture of water and steam into a treatmentchamber comprising a cylindrical duct having an open end, a nozzlecluster within and adjacent the open end of said duct comprising aplurality of circumferentially spaced radially extending portions, eachcarrying a spray nozzle disposed substantially parallel to and directoutwardly through the open end of said duct, said radially extendingportions of said nozzle cluster providing fluid egress orifices for saidduct betweenan'd substantially surrounding said spray nozzles, conduitmeans for supplying steam to said duct and means within said conduitmeans for supplying water to said spray nozzles.

4. In combination with a treatment chamber having a wall, apparatus forinjecting a mixture of water and steam into said chamber through saidwall comprising a duct extending through and substantially normal tosaid wall, a hollow cylindrical head secured to said duct within saidwall and extending substantially parallel to said wall, said head havingoppositely disposed open ends, a nozzle cluster within and adjacenteachof the open ends of said head and each, comprising a plurality ofcircumferentially spaced radially extending portions each carrying aspray nozzle directed outwardly through the open head end, said nozzleclusters providing fluid outlet passages between and substantiallysurrounding said spray nozzles and the radially extending portionscarrying the same, means for supplying steam to said duct and meanswithin'said duct and said head for supplying water to said spraynozzles.

5. In combination with a. treatment chamber having a wall, apparatus forinjecting a mixture of water and steam into said chamber through saidwall comprising a duct extending through and substantially normal tosaid wall, a T shaped. head communicating with said duct within saidwall and including a hollow cylindrical portion extending substantiallyat right angles to said duct and parallel to said wall, saidcylindrical. portion of said head having oppositely disposed open ends,a nozzle cluster within and adjacent each of the open ends of said head,each nozzle cluster comprising a plurality of circumferentially spacedradially extending portions, each carrying a spray nozzle disposedsubstantially parallel to and directed outwardly through "the open endof said cylindrical head portion, said radially extending portions ofsaid nozzle cluster providing fluid egress orifices between andsubstantially surrounding said spray nozzles, means for supplying steamto said duct and means,

within said duct and said head for supplying wates to said spraynozzles.

HORACE L. SMITH, JR.

CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION. Patent. No. 2,lh.7,2'(5. February 111', 1939.

HORACE 1.. SMITH, JR.

It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specificationof the above numberedpetent requiring correction as follows; Page 1,second column, line 28, for the word "had" read head; page 2, secondcolumn line 22, claim 5, for "direct! read directed} and that the saidLetters Patent should be read with this correction therein th t th amemay confrom to the record of the case in the Patent Office. I

Signed and sealed this 21st day of March, A. 1959.

Henry Van Arsdale. v

(Seal) Acting Commissioner of Patents.

